Most Westmoreland County courts will remain shuttered through April 30.

Common Pleas Court President Judge Rita Hathaway on Monday extended the current reductions of court functions as part of the state’s coronavirus response plan.

The order cancels all trials in April, as well as other basic court functions such as pretrial motions, in-person pleas and arguments.

Courts will continue to hear emergency matters such as injunction and stay requests, mental health reviews, guardianships, emergency bail filings, bench warrant and detainer hearings, search warrants, juvenile detention hearings, protection from abuse hearings and emergency family court matters.

Most bail hearings in the last three weeks were conducted via video with inmates who are incarcerated at the county jail. District judges will continue to hold preliminary hearings for jailed defendants.

Protection from abuse petitions and hearings will continue to be processed in a courthouse conference room near the building’s front lobby. Family court judges appear at those hearings via video.

Meanwhile, Sheriff James Albert announced the sheriff’s sale of foreclosed properties, originally scheduled for April 6 and postponed for a month, was again delayed. Albert said the new date will be May 4.

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